Apparatus for handling coils of strip



Oct. 19, 1965 T. c. ROBERTS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS OF STRIP 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 l/VVENTOR THOMAS C. ROBERTS flameyFiled Aug. 29, 1965 PIE-I- 2 T. c. ROBERTS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILSOF STRIP 3 sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 19, 1965 T. c. ROBERTS APPARATUS FORHANDLING COILS OF STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 29, 1965 IIWE/VTORTHOMAS C. ROBERTS Aflarney United States Patent 3,212,658 APPARATUS FORHANDLING COILS 0F STRIP Thomas C. Roberts, Johnstown, Pa., assignor toUnited States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug.29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,341 7 Claims. (CL 214-130) This invention relatesto apparatus for handling coils of strip and more particularly toapparatus for transferring narrow coils of steel strip from a positionwith their axes horizontal to a position with their axes vertical. It isold to provide devices for so handling coils of strip, but such deviceshave various disadvantages. They generally are provided with very largerotatable shafts which are so supported and connected for rotation thathigh initial torsional stresses are impressed on the shaft. Devices forhandling narrow coils are generally such that only one coil can behandled at a time or are so arranged that it is awkward to handle morethan one coil.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a coil handlingdevice which is so constructed that the above disadvantages areeliminated.

Another object is to provide such a device which is lighter in weightand requires less power than previous devices for handling the sameweight of material.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the the apparatus of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View taken on the line IIII of FIG- URE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings reference numeral 2indicates a base on which are mounted axially aligned spaced bearings 4for rotatably supporting a shaft 6. A pair of cylinders 8, each having apiston rod 9 so as to form a fluid motor, are pivotally mounted on theframe 2 by means of supports 10. A pair of connecting arms 12, each hasone end connected to one of the piston rods 9 by means of a pin 14 andthe other end rigidly secured to the shaft 6 between the bearings 4.Spaced arms 16 are also rigidly secured to the shaft 6 and extendvertically upwardly therefrom as shown in the drawings. Each of the arms16 support a plurality of rotatable rollers 18 arranged with their axesparallel to the axis of shaft 6. A pair of spaced arms 20 are alsorigidly secured to the shaft 6 and extend normal to the arms 16. Thearms 16 may be integral with the arms 20. The arms 20 provide a set ofways 22 which slidably supports a saddle assembly 24. The saddleassembly 24 consists of a saddle plate 26 and one or more saddle arms 28rigidly secured to the saddle plate 26 at right angles thereto. Thesaddle arms 28 are located in the space between the arms 16. A cylinder30 is pivotally supported on supports 32 which are mounted on arms 20.Piston rod 33, associated with cylinder 30 to form a fluid motor, ispivotally attached to saddle assembly 24. The rollers 18 extend beyondthe arms 28 when the saddle assembly 24 is positioned in its innermostposition. An upstanding arm 34 is attached to the base 2 beyond the endsof arms 20 when they are in horizontal position and are so located thatthe saddle plate 26 can pass therebeneath. A stop 36 is arranged alongone side of the saddle assembly 24 and a ramp 37 is arranged on theopposite side thereof. A roller conveyor 38 is arranged on the base 2above the cylinders 8. Fluid is delivered to each of the cylinders 8through a conduit 40, three-way valve 42 and conduits 44 and 46. In likemanner fluid is introduced into cylinder 30 from conduit 48 throughthree-way valve 50 and conduits 52 and 54. The arms 16 will rest on abeam 56 when in horizontal position and the arms 20 on a beam 58 when inhorizontal position.

In operation, the saddle arms 28 are moved to a position remote fromshaft 6 and a pallet P positioned against the arms 28 with sutficientspace between the pallet and the guide 34 to receive a coil of strip Cwhich is rolled down ramp 37 onto the saddle plate 26 from a directionparallel to the axis of shaft 6. The valve 50 is then operated to causeflow of fluid through conduit 54 so that the saddle assembly with thecoil C thereon is moved toward the shaft 6 a distance equal to the widthof a coil C. A second coil C is then rolled onto the saddle plate 26 inthe same manner as the first coil and abutted against the first coil.This operation is repeated until the saddle plate 26 is loaded. Valve 42is then operated to cause fluid to flow through conduit 46 so as torotate the arms 16 and 20 through an angle of thus positioning the arms16 in a horizontal position and the saddle plate 26 in a verticalposition. Thus it will be seen that the pallet P and coils C are restingon the rollers 18 with the axis of the coils in a vertical position. Thecoils C are then moved off the rollers 18 onto the roller conveyor 38.The valve 42 is then operated to cause fluid to flow into con duit 44and return the arms 16 and 20 to their original position. Valve 50 isalso operated to cause fluid to flow through conduit 52, thus moving thesaddle assembly 24 to a position remote from the shaft 6. The apparatusis then ready to receive additional coils of strip. If desired, thepallet P may be omitted and the coils C abutted directly against arms28. Also, a single wide coil may be upended in which case the saddleassembly 24 need not be used.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling coils of strip comprising a pivot support, afirst arm attached to said pivot support for movement therewith from asubstantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,a pair of spaced arms attached to said pivot support for movementtherewith from a substantially vertical position to a substantiallyhorizontal position, said pair of arms being arranged substantiallynormal to said first arm, a saddle assembly having a saddle plate forreceiving coils of strip with their axes horizontal and a saddle armconnected to said saddle plate substantially normal thereto, meanssupporting said saddle plate on said first arm for movement toward andaway from said pivot support, said saddle arm being positioned betweensaid spaced arms, a fluid motor mounted on said first arm, meansconnecting said fluid motor to move said saddle plate along said firstarm, and means for rotating said first arm and pair of arms through anangle of 90.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a plurality of rollersmounted on said pair of arms with their axes parallel to the axis ofsaid pivot support and the outer surface thereof extending above the topof said saddle arm when the pair of arms and the saddle arm are in ahorizontal position.

3. Apparatus for handling coils of strip comprising a base, a pair ofspaced bearings mounted on saidbase with their axes aligned in ahorizontal plane, a shaft rotatably supported in said aligned bearings,a first arm attached to said shaft for movement therewith from asubstantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,a pair of spaced arms attached to said shaft for movement therewith froma substantially vertical position to a. substantially horizontalposition, said pair of arms being arranged substantially normal to saidfirst arm, a plurality of rollers mounted on said pair of arms withtheir axes parallel to the axis of said shaft, a saddle assembly havinga saddle plate for receiving coils of strip with their axes horizontaland a saddle arm connected to said saddle plate substantially normalthereto, means supporting said'saddle plate on said first arm formovement toward and away from said shaft, said saddle arm beingpositioned between said spaced arms, a fluid motor mounted on said firstarm, means connecting said fluid motor to move'said saddle plate alongsaid first arm, a fluid motor mounted on said base, and means connectingsaid last named fluid motor to rotate said shaft through an angle 'of90.

4. Apparatus according to "claim 3 including an end stop arranged at oneside of said saddle plate when said saddle plate is in a horizontalposition.

5. Apparatus for handling coils of strip comprising a base, a pair ofspaced bearings mounted on said base with their axes aligned in ahorizontal plane, a shaft rotatably supported in said aligned bearings,a first arm attached to said shaft for movement therewith from asubstantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,a pair of spaced arms attached to said shaft for movement therewith froma'substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontalposition, said pair of arms being arranged substantially normal to saidfirst arm, a saddle assembly having a saddle plate for receiving coilsof strip with their axes horizontal and a saddle arm con-' nected tosaid saddle plate substantially normal thereto,

means supporting said saddle plate on said first arm for movement towardand away from said shaft, said saddle arm being positioned between saidspaced arms, a fluid motor mounted on said first arm, means connectingsaid fluid motor to move said saddle plate along said first arm, a pairof fluid motors mounted on said base below said shaft and between saidbearings, and means connecting said fluid motors to said shaft betweensaid bearings to rotate said shaft through an angle of 90.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including a plurality of rollersmounted on said pair of arms with their axes parallel to the axis ofsaid shaft and the outer surface thereof extending above the top of saidsaddle arm when the pair of arms and the saddle arm are in a horizontalposition.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 including an end stop arranged at oneside of said saddle plate when said saddle plate is in a horizontalposition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,426,5 69 8/47Stewart.

2,567,819 9/51 Matteson et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 941,600 4/56 Germany.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS OF STRIP COMRPISING A PIVOT SUPPORT, AFIRST ARM ATTACHED TO SAID PIVOT SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENNT THEREWITH FRO ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A SUBSTNATIALLY VERTICAL POSITION,A PAIR OF SPACED ARMS ATTACHED TO SAID PIVOT SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENTTHEREWITH FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTAL POSITION, SAID APIR OF ARMS BEING ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLYNORMAL TO SAID FIRST ARM, A SADDLE ASSEMBLY HVAING A SADDLE PLATE FORRECEIVING COILS OF STRIP WITH THEIR AXES HORIZONTAL AND A SADDLE ARMCONNECTED TO SAID SADDLE PLATE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO, MEANSSUPPORTING SAID SADDLE PLATE ON SAID FIRST AMR FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD ANDAWAY FROM SAID PIVOT SUPPORT, SAID SADDLE ARM BEING POSITIONED BETWEENSAID SPACED ARMS, A FLUID MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST AMR, MEANSCONNECTING SAID FLUID MOTOR TO MOVE SAID SADDLE PLATE ALONG SAID FIRSTARM, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FIRST ARM AND PAIR OF ARMS THROUGH ANANGLE OF 90*.